A24’s The Green Knight, from director David Lowery, follows as Sir Gawain of Arthurian legend tests his mettle against fate by travelling across the land in search of the titular figure, with whom he makes the most curious of bargains. Long before Gawain finds the legendary knight to battle him for the second time, the nobleman’s adventures bring him face-to-face with a number of breathtaking spectacles like giants and a talking fox who punctuate the movie as embodiments of its folkloric nature.
The otherworldly and oftentimes menacing atmosphere that dominates The Green Knight plays a key role in making the movie’s fantastical elements work, and a new behind-the-scenes VFX breakdown from Weta Digital shows you how the special effects house focused on leaning into the natural eeriness of the production’s shooting to pull it all off. By working with the naturally occuring fog and mist, which lent an overall smoky quality to many of the movie’s sprawling landscapes, Weta was able to create virtually construct believable castles and ruins, and make the perfect setting for some of the film’s monstrously large giants to trample through.
What’s interesting to see in the breakdown video is how much of The Green Knight’s aesthetic boiled down to Weta using a balance of typical compositing techniques as well as traditional matte paintings in order to craft especially picturesque scenes.
The Green Knight is now available to download on most platforms.
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